| Submit your comments on this article |
| International-UN-NGOs |
| BBC World viewers: Globalisation and US are bigger threats than terror |
| 2004-04-09 |
| Globalisation and the US pose a more serious threat to the world than war and terrorism, according to a BBC poll. Corruption came second on a list of the biggest problems facing the world, the survey of BBC viewers worldwide found. Second? Guess I need to brush up on my maths. Unless they’re lumping the US and globalisation, two entirely different subjects, together. Now why on earth would they want to do that? Conflicts - war and terrorism - ranked third, with 50%, followed by hunger, 49%, and climate change with 44%. BBC World asked 1,500 viewers of its news and international channel for the biggest problems in the world with 52% saying the US and globalisation. Respondents from Europe, Asia, North and South America, the Middle East, Africa and Australasia, ranked the power of the US and large corporations as the biggest worry (52.3%). BBC World’s head of research and planning Jeremy Nye said: "We were a little surprised that global superpowers... (Plural?! What’s one plus, um, zero, again?) ...and corruption were ranked top but we will track whether they are gaining from topical interest or are of greater long-term significance." Wars and terrorism were ranked as the top concerns in Europe and the Middle East despite ranking third overall. Illiteracy was ranked sixth overall with 38% followed by nuclear proliferation, also 38%, and the persecution of minorities with 36%. Lack of drinking water and basic sanitation was ranked 12th, with 20%, while 16% rated migration as the most important problem. Thanks, Beeb. Really useful and reliable stuff. |
| Posted by:Bulldog |
| #13 The BBC is pitching big time for the Arab and Indian subcontinent market. I flew on Emirates a couple of months back and they were showing BBC news live on the cabin screen. |
| Posted by: Phil B 2004-04-09 7:55:32 PM |
| #12 I'm suprised only 52% thought US biggest threat.The poll was from viewers of BBC and it's nonstop anti-US,anti-capitalist broadcasts,and they could barely convince 1/2 their audience. |
| Posted by: Stephen 2004-04-09 7:51:46 PM |
| #11 Jarhead -- Unfortunately, we SHOULD give an f-ing sh*t about the BBC because they have a worldwide reach. Their propaganda is spread EVERYWHERE and it has a disproportionate influence in shaping world opinion. They are regarded as "objective". I don't know if they ever were (only started listening last year) but now they are anything but. |
| Posted by: docob 2004-04-09 3:49:13 PM |
| #10 Man, sometimes I wish we were the horrid imperialist agressors we're painted. Then we could go stomp little pricks like this into oblivion. |
| Posted by: mojo 2004-04-09 11:32:30 AM |
| #9 Many people over here in the UK hate the Beeb for the way it constantly LIES or does not give the whole picture to suit their leftwing views. They lost the argument years ago which is why many of us either ignore them or are actively demanding the Beeb becomes commercial and not funded by the taxpayer. Unpatriotic b@@@@@ds - the lot of them. |
| Posted by: Anonymous4104 2004-04-09 11:21:59 AM |
| #8 Bulldog If you refuse to pay by your own initiative then they will fine or jail you and you will lose. It has to be a _national_ movement of citizens refusing their taxes being diverted for supporting the opinions of BBC's nomenklatura. If a few hundred thousand people sign for not paying the BBC racket, if you have people demonstrating on this, if you make it an electoral problem then you can get rid of the BBC tax. If the BBC people want to air their opinion then let's have them create a private broadcasting service. Those who have used BBC for promoting their opinions should refund the tax payer for every single penny involved in producing and broadcasting their emissions. Including their salaries of course. Btw at www.eursoc.com you will find a quote from a BBC guy who tells BBC's duty is to fight euroscepticism. To fight it with the taxes stolen to people who don't want the UK being sucked in the EU. |
| Posted by: JFM 2004-04-09 10:44:37 AM |
| #7 If I was paying for just myself at the moment, I would seriously consider refusing. A recent poll suggests a majority of Britons are fed up with the situation, too, prefering a voluntary subscription service, or for the BBC to pay its bills through advertising revenue. That sentiment is bound to get stronger, IMO, as more and more people wake up to the injustice of the present situation, watch more alternative channels' TV, and whilst the BBC quality gets worse and worse, and panders to an ever diminishing audience. |
| Posted by: Bulldog 2004-04-09 10:13:47 AM |
| #6 Well said, Badnov. I for one hope they keep it up. Give them a shovel and let them keep digging. Comments like these marginalize and give them the same credibility that people like Tammy Faye Baker have to Christianity - eventually, only fools pay them heed. |
| Posted by: B 2004-04-09 10:10:52 AM |
| #5 Bulldog I think British should start a movement of civil disobedience on the BBC tax. |
| Posted by: JFM 2004-04-09 9:13:46 AM |
| #4 Yawn. Reverend BBC asks the choir for an 'Amen.' |
| Posted by: badanov 2004-04-09 8:28:31 AM |
| #3 "You think they're biased?! The BBC doesn't give A Fucking Shit." >True enough Bulldog, which is the same reason I don't give a fucking shit about the BBC. |
| Posted by: Jarhead 2004-04-09 8:23:01 AM |
| #2 Phil B, the headline actually simply read: 'US is bigger threat than terror' I did the BBC a favour by clarifying it when posting. You think they're biased?! The BBC doesn't give A Fucking Shit. |
| Posted by: Bulldog 2004-04-09 4:14:09 AM |
| #1 What crap! They ask one badly phrased question that demonstrates extreme bias in the first place - US and large corporations as the biggest worry and then blow it up into a scare headline. I am sure that many people interpeted this question as 'Large multinational corporations as the biggest worry' Some of the rest would have interpretted as 'the USA as the biggest worry'. No link to the questions and result. Shoddy journalism as well as shoddy polling. I can't wait for the Brits to shutdown the BBC. |
| Posted by: Phil B 2004-04-09 4:00:36 AM |